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NEW H3 OWNER-Can I connect my phone bluetooth to Onstar-without subscription?

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,677
Location
Scottsdale
Get a new head unit for Bluetooth. You won't be able to tie in Bluetooth, the OEM head unit and Onstar controls.
 

f5moab

Mr. Beretta
Messages
2,000
Location
In hiding.....
If your Onstar control unit has the bluetooth installed, you can. However, not sure if GM ever installed a bluetooth capable Onstar unit on the H3. I know they didn't up till '08, but they might have from 09 to their end; not sure.
And not sure how integrated the Onstar bluetooth was with the GM radio head unit.
I do know in later vehicles you can use the bluetooth, fully integrated with the head unit without an Onstar subscription; I've been doing it for a few years on a GMC.
 

atvspeed4

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,216
Location
massachusetts
If your Onstar control unit has the bluetooth installed, you can. However, not sure if GM ever installed a bluetooth capable Onstar unit on the H3. I know they didn't up till '08, but they might have from 09 to their end; not sure.
And not sure how integrated the Onstar bluetooth was with the GM radio head unit.
I do know in later vehicles you can use the bluetooth, fully integrated with the head unit without an Onstar subscription; I've been doing it for a few years on a GMC.
Some 2010 h3 had Bluetooth but you could not stream music just do phone calls. There are a few threads out there of guys buying the VCIM from a 2010 h3 with Bluetooth and plugging in and it worked fine. I believe the VCIM from certain Cadillac CTS and trailblazer also work but it's been a few years since I looked.
 

Korby7

Well-Known Member
Messages
434
Location
Utah
I was disabling my Onstar in my 09 a couple of weeks ago and noticed it had the Bluetooth logo on it and also wondered if I could connect with my phone. I had never tried. Not worth it for me if I have to keep Onstar plugged in. I was also surprised it was supplied by LG.
 

H3V8

Well-Known Member
Messages
95
Location
Texas
I can confirm that you can pair and make phone calls via bluetooth without needing to use Onstar. I do it pretty frequently. No music via bluetooth but phonecalls work just fine. I just followed the pairing process in the owner's manual.

Not sure what linking is allowed but section 3-52 shows you how to pair with bluetooth for phone calls. https://justgivemethedamnmanual.com/hummer/2009-hummer-h3-owners-manual/
 
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FactoryOrdered2010AlphaT

Well-Known Member
Messages
87
Location
Canada
In park, press the talk button and say Bluetooth. If it knows the command (say help) then you should be able to pair most phones built within the past ten years or so. You'll be able to answer a call by pressing the button, ending a calling by pressing the button and saying "End Call", making a call by saying Call or Dial. The Call command relies on the directory built-into the unit, not the phone. I've never been able to get it to link up with the phone directory...and these days if I make the mistake of allowing the Google Assistant in the phone to use a connected Bluetooth microphone for input...more often than not the 'GM lag' impairs any useful input.

In theory allowing Google Assistant to unlock by voice means you could ask it to initiate a call (from whatever information it has access to) and it switches to the Bluetooth headset once the call is made. But in practice the interior so noisy it doesn't work reliably. Stick to answering calls and watching out for VW drivers.

The 2010 interiors were built from parts developed in what? 2006 or earlier? So the dogStar/head units were way out of date when they shipped, with only a buggy low level Bluetooth Headset Profile - and not the A2DP required for streaming. Over the years Bluetooth stack updates in Android have caused, fixed and 'accommodated' various issues.

P.S.: Blame XM for the lack of an input on the radio...appalling...
 

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,677
Location
Scottsdale
OP hasn't identified which radio is in his H3. Most H3s were sold w/o Bluetooth capability. If it does have Bluetooth, then yeah, he'll be able to connect his phone to the radio. But he won't be able to use the Onstar system (as he asked) together with Bluetooth, or use Bluetooth to connect to a non-Bluetooth radio.

I think we need more information from him but so far he's not replied to any thread that he's created.
 
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